Captain Cook was not the first European (white person) to step foot onto Australian soil. He did however plant a flag and claim the whole island continent for England.

There are three main theories to explain why England wanted to start a settlement "down under":

  1. A dumping ground for convicts
  2. Supplies of shipbuilding resources
  3. Strengthen trade routes

We will study each of these theories so that you can discuss key ideas and draw conclusions using historical evidence.